Marina Abramovic's experiment: how permissiveness can lead to exorbitant cruelty

In 1974, a performance called "Rhythm 0" took place at the Morra studio in Naples. This was the final event in a series of performances by the artist Marina Abramović, and the most dangerous of them all.

The show started in the evening. Marina silently and motionlessly stood in the middle of an empty space, and the guests received the following instructions: “You see 72 objects on the table that can be used on me at will. I am an object. During this period, I take full responsibility.”

There was a table with a variety of items in the room. Among them were both neutral things like a comb, lipstick, perfume or flowers, and those that could hurt: scissors, razor blades, needles. The most dangerous item was a single-shot pistol. And he did not go unnoticed by the public.

Everything started well. People just played with Marina - they touched her, turned her, raised their hands. But the further, the more cruel the fun became.

Three hours later, Abramovich was stripped to the waist. Somebody cut her neck and drank blood, and then sealed the wound with a band-aid. The woman was touched for intimate places, put on the table and stuck a knife into the tabletop between her legs.

The defenseless “object” was scratched, pricked with rose needles, doused with cold water and olive oil, and tablets with inscriptions were attached to the skin.

By words criticizing McEvilley, who watched part of the performance, one of the participants loaded a gun, put the weapon in Abramovich's hand, put it to her temple and tried to pull the trigger with her own finger. Marina heard the woman telling him what to do.

The artist endured hours of torment, being in constant fear of what other bullying visitors might come up with. When the performance time was over and a half-naked, bloody woman with tears in her eyes moved towards the audience, they literally rushed to the doors.

Six hours of horror did not pass without a trace for Marina. Back at the hotel, she found a large strand of gray hair in her hair.

It must be said that this was not the first time that Abramovich was injured during her performances. For example, during one performance, she passed out in a burning star, and on another occasion wounded her fingers with a knife.

However, it was "Rhythm 0" that became the most terrible test for her. The woman realized that people could be mad enough to kill her.

What made people act cruelly

Marina Abramovic's performance showed how easily a person can turn to violence if he is relieved of responsibility and convinced that there are no consequences.

At the same time, it is too early to declare people initially cruel, since the reaction largely depends on what is happening around. In his book Fraser Ward analyzes the performance "Rhythm 0" and puts forward several theories about how the audience could perceive the performance and Marina Abramovic herself.

Dissonance and trying to get a reaction

Ward argues that when Abramovich gave people the right to control her body and called herself an "object", she kind of abandoned her own identity and took the position of homo sacer. This concept has been used in ancient rome to refer to a person who was out of the law and could be killed by anyone.

During the performance, Marina declared her body, if not public, then at least not personal, destroyed the boundary between public and private, which caused dissonance in people and a keen desire to restore the boundaries - to make it move, to show myself. Become a person again, not an object.

In addition, complete passivity in response to any action could be perceived as aggression. This could disappoint and frustrate the audience, as well as cause a desire to achieve at least some kind of reaction.

Performance setting

Fraser Ward writesthat the very setting of the performance set people up to inflict pain.

There were many dangerous items on the table, like razor blades, knife, hammer. And if in a normal situation these things could be used for everyday tasks, then during the performance it was assumed that they should somehow be applied in relation to the “object” - that is, to Marina.

Not to mention the fact that among the things there was a pistol with a cartridge, and it is difficult for him to come up with another use, except for violence.

Moreover, photographs from Marina's past performances hung on the walls of the hall, which could be perceived as a prompt to action.

Lack of responsibility

First of all, Marina Abramovic herself stated that she takes full responsibility for what happens during the performance. She let people do whatever they want.

Moreover, the participants in the performance acted as a group. This not only relieved everyone of personal responsibility for their behavior, but also made it possible to receive support from society and encourage their actions.

Does this mean that all people are inherently cruel

In her interview, Marina Abramovic mentionedthat if you give people the freedom to do whatever they want, they can be mad enough to kill.

At the same time, not all Rhythm 0 participants committed violent acts. Some wiped Marina's tears, tried to intervene when they showed aggression towards her. According to McEvilley, when a loaded gun was held to the woman's head, a fight broke out in the audience.

Thus, the performance says little about human nature in general, because, despite the factors conducive to the manifestation of cruelty, not all participants tortured the defenseless “object”, and someone even tried protect him.

Yes, crowd able to create something that each of its participants, left alone with himself, will regret. But not everyone will act badly, even in circumstances that favor it.